San Francisco in July 2019 will be the first time the cannabis industry brings together the cannabis producers who can offer private label programs. If you are looking to launch a new private label cannabis product into the recreational or medical cannabis market, then the upcoming Private Label Cannabis Expo (PLCE) is the must-attend event of 2019. The event, which consists of both a business conference and a trade show floor for exhibitors, is shaping up to be the biggest gathering of private label cannabis buyers and sellers in the North American market. As such, it offers the perfect platform for growth.

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The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo will open this Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show will take place along side Coffee Fest and the Healthy Food Expo West in the same space. There will be so much to see and do at this three-day event.

We have prepared a preview of the show, with some featured items from the companies who will be exhibiting at the show. If you attend, we hope you have time to stop by our booth #1033 so that you can meet some new vendors who we will be bringing to the show for the first time.

New York, New York. July 7 - The USA Trade Tasting (USATT) event is an annual New York City wine, beer & spirits expo that gives opportunities to buyers from all across the USA to meet global wine, beer, and spirits suppliers. Now in its fourth year, the USATT event will take place on May 13-14, 2019 with an expanded schedule of events for members of the alcohol beverage industry.

Dozens of conference all around the country are devoted specifically to the restaurant industry. Each year, Santé attends the events we think will be of most interest to our readers. As we walk the floor, we’re on the lookout for new trends and suppliers that will impact our community.

We also want to spread the word about Santé so, although we are a digital publication, for these shows we print a special Trade Show Edition. This edition compiles a few of our favorite stories of the past year as well as new features with appeal across the hospitality industry.

In every issue, Santé touches on all facets of the restaurant business. Bar, food, operations, and products are featured, but also history and lifestyle stories. There are many outlets to get information about the restaurant business. Santé is the only place to find stories tailored to the up-market and fast-casual restaurants that educate, entertain and are focused on improving your bottom line.

The newly announced USA Wine Ratings will take place in San Francisco, California on July 23-24, 2018. The event is already generating buzz within the wine industry because this awards competition will use an entirely new benchmark for judging wines. In contrast to the traditional wine scoring system, which only rewards winemaking ability, the new scoring system of the USA Wine Ratings will use a weighting of three different criteria: Quality, Value and Packaging.

The USA Wine Ratings follows on the heels of the London Wine Competition, which took place earlier this year. Both events are part of a global awards initiative by Beverage Trade Network, which organizes wine industry events around the world every year. The goal of the USA Wine Ratings is to Ratings industry-wide notions of what makes a great wine, as well as to align the criteria of both commercial buyers and average wine drinkers.

At its core, the USA Wine Ratings is an awards competition that takes into account the average wine drinker. While the quality of the wine is obviously of greatest importance, other factors – such as how a wine looks on a shelf, the overall design and presentation of the wine (including the label), and the relative value that a wine provides within a price category – also play a very important role in the whole wine drinking experience.

According to Sid Patel, Founder and CEO of Beverage Trade Network, the launch of this new event in the heart of California wine country is of special significance. “It’s one thing to host an awards competition in a region not known for its great wines,” he says, “But it’s another thing entirely to host an awards competition in a city like San Francisco, the capital of one of the world’s most famous wine regions.”

“With the USA Wine Ratings, we are really celebrating the global wine industry, and everything it has to offer,” Patel says. “We would like to reward those brands and products that consumers actually want to buy, rather then simply recognizing high-quality wines on the basis of winemaking ability alone.”

Hosting the USA Wine Ratings in San Francisco, then, is really about changing the perceptions of an entire industry. “And the way you do that is by going to the wine capitals of the world and providing examples of what great wines look and taste like,” says Patel.

Judging criteria for the USA Wine Ratings

For a wine to receive a high overall score, it will need to perform well according to three major criteria:

• Quality – Quality will be assessed on how agreeable the wine is for its target customer and chemical analysis. Quality will take into account Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste and Aftertaste.

• Value – Value in this context means how well the wine is priced based on its quality. The key metric here is the retail price of the wine.

• Packaging – Packaging in this context means how customers will perceive the wine on a wine shelf. Factors includes label, bottle color, bottle shape and closure.

It is precisely these three criteria that play the most vital role in determining which wines consumers really want to purchase. As Patel points out, “Our goal in coming up with these criteria was being able to provide a clear guide to wines. Anyone buying an award-winning wine recognized by the USA Wine Ratings will know that that they are getting maximum value for their wine purchase.”

The problem faced by many wine buyers today, says Patel, is that it can be difficult and confusing to pick out exactly the right wine for the right occasion. “With so many products on the shelves today,” notes Patel, “It can be very challenging to know what to buy.”

Scoring system for the USA Wine Ratings

A specific weighting for each of these three judging criteria will result in a final score. It is on the basis of the final score that a wine will be eligible for a Gold, Silver or Bronze prize. The weighting of the judging criteria is as follows:

• Quality: A score between 0 and 50
• Value: A score between 0 and 25
• Packaging: A score between 0 and 25

As can be seen here, Quality will be responsible for determining 50% of a wine’s final score. However, simply scoring the maximum number of points within this category will not be enough to win an overall Gold, Silver or Bronze award. The scoring system for these awards is as follows:

• Gold: A score of 90+
• Silver: A score of 80 to 89
• Bronze: A score of 70 to 79

For a wine to receive a high overall score, it will need to perform well according to three major criteria:

• Quality – Quality will be assessed on how agreeable the wine is for its target customer and chemical analysis. Quality will take into account Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste and Aftertaste.

• Value – Value in this context means how well the wine is priced based on its quality. The key metric here is the retail price of the wine.

• Packaging – Packaging in this context means how customers will perceive the wine on a wine shelf. Factors includes label, bottle color, bottle shape and closure.

It is precisely these three criteria that play the most vital role in determining which wines consumers really want to purchase. As Patel points out, “Our goal in coming up with these criteria was being able to provide a clear guide to wines. Anyone buying an award-winning wine recognized by the USA Wine Ratings will know that that they are getting maximum value for their wine purchase.”

The problem faced by many wine buyers today, says Patel, is that it can be difficult and confusing to pick out exactly the right wine for the right occasion. “With so many products on the shelves today,” notes Patel, “It can be very challenging to know what to buy.”

Scoring system for the USA Wine Ratings

A specific weighting for each of these three judging criteria will result in a final score. It is on the basis of the final score that a wine will be eligible for a Gold, Silver or Bronze prize. The weighting of the judging criteria is as follows:

• Quality: A score between 0 and 50
• Value: A score between 0 and 25
• Packaging: A score between 0 and 25

As can be seen here, Quality will be responsible for determining 50% of a wine’s final score. However, simply scoring the maximum number of points within this category will not be enough to win an overall Gold, Silver or Bronze award. The scoring system for these awards is as follows:

• Gold: A score of 90+
• Silver: A score of 80 to 89
• Bronze: A score of 70 to 79

According to Patel, this scoring system was a big hit with London wine drinkers earlier this year at the London Wine Competition, and generated a tremendous amount of discussion about the overall drinkability of a wine.

The panel of judges will include top-level wine buyers with current direct commercial buying responsibility. The list of judges will be drawn from leading retail chains, wholesalers, distributors and on-trade groups across a variety of channels and disciplines.

“Together, we can help to create a selection of the highest quality and most commercially viable wines available in the world,” says Patel.

It is expected, too, that the commercial wine trade will begin to put an overall emphasis on wines that have been judged highly at the USA Wine Ratings. The reason, quite simply, is that they need to stock the wines on their shelves that wine drinkers are buying and requesting.

On February 26, the International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) officially opened at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.

The event kicked off with a brief keynote address and welcome by award-winning business editor Richard Siddle, who outlined the dramatic growth in the bulk wine industry in the UK and gave a brief outline of what participants could expect to learn in both the morning and afternoon sessions.
The busy Tasting Floor saw many genuine buyers mingling with the producers. Business cards were exchanged, samples were poured and hands were shaken.

Fruit forward presentation that blends the spice of Zinfandel with the smoothness of Merlot with deep complex flavor of cherry from the other grapes blended to create the wine. The medium bodied wine has a deep red color, and easy drinking flavor profile. The seven grape varietals are sourced from prive vinyards on California's central coast and Lodi regions.

A blend of Quebranta, Moscatel, Italia and Torontel grapes provides a rich tropical forest aroma that leads to complex tropical fruit on the palate. You are left with additional aromas of lightly tart fruit. You may not want to share this bottle, but doing so will make new friends!

Notes of pear and vanilla lead to delicate peppery flavors that gently coat the palate. Aromas of cinammon and light pepper are released with a subtle finish. No wonder this spirit is so well received. Easily savored neat. Use in cocktails that do not overpower its subtle flavors.

Gentle aromas of this crystal-clear blue agave follow into a smoothly textured peppery tequila. There is no burn as the palate is coated with a balance of cinnamon, fennel, and pepper. Not too spicy or hot. Enjoy neat or, if you insist, in a cocktail!

A purely clean gin with aromas of juniper and some striking citrus. Mellow spices suffuse the palate and subtle floral notes coat the back of the mouth. Sip straight or use in delicate cocktails so as not to overpower this well-balanced gin.

A smooth, caramelly cream liquor with delicate aromas of vanilla and toffee. Almost impossible to put down. Delicate notes of vanilla and butterscotch on the palate. Perfect straight, chilled, or over ice.

Irridescent gold color. Delicate aromas of orange and tangerine. Complex and elegant on the palate with intense fruit flavors underscored by notes of caramel and butterscotch. Smooth and delicate. Enjoy neat or as an ingredient with cocktails.

You are greeted by golden effervescence, and delicate bubbles. Wild flowers and honey on the nose followed by subtle tints of honey and vanilla on the palate. A nice long finish that continues to delight.

Ripe aromas of black cherry, red currant, and plum, over earthy notes and a touch of spice. Soft on the palate, with dark cherry, black summer berries, and baking spice. Easy tannins on the balanced finish.da Vinci

Plum and black cherry dominate the nose, with clove, star anise, and earthy notes. Round and silky on the palate, showing mature red and black fruit flavors, over notes of sandalwood and light smoke. Extended finish with a peppery end.

Round and rich, with aromas of dark cherry, plum, and currant jam, with spicy oak and a touch of vanilla. Soft on the palate, with blackberry, Bing cherry, and cassis, over notes of earthy minerals and eucalyptus. Silky tannins on the lingering finish.